February 15, 2014

NCR: Activists strive to bring attention back to Darfur crisis

AFS Note: National Catholic Reporter interviewed activists who are members of Act for Sudan and highlighted AFS’ Obama’s Stained Legacy Campaign in a recent two-part series.

February 15, 2014

NEW YORK Editor’s note: The following is Part 1 of a two-part series on decade-long humanitarian efforts in Sudan, a country plagued by war and other crises. The next part will focus on efforts in South Sudan.

As for Obama, the one time U.S. senator from Illinois called genocide “a stain on our souls.” But the lack of visibility on Darfur by his administration, activists argue, is prompting them to call for a more robust “civilian protection-oriented policy” on Darfur and Sudan. That is a cornerstone of a campaign the group Act for Sudan is calling “Obama’s Stained Legacy.”

The campaign argues that Obama’s policy on Darfur “has failed to prevent the tragic loss of countless lives and the mass displacement and starvation of countless more innocent people.” Unless Obama acts now “to protect innocent civilians from their genocidal government,” the activist group said, “he will ultimately be remembered for his stained legacy on genocide.”

Activists say it is up to them to keep the pressure on — and that can be daunting work. “It’s very frustrating,” Adam said at a Columbia University coffee shop in late January. “We’re not in a post-genocide, post-conflict situation.”

He paused, looking out toward the campus. “Sometimes I understand the fatigue. But I tell people to refocus. ‘It’s not over,’ I tell them. ‘It’s not over.’ “